Arabic original here. A video of it is available here.
The eulogy of Met Georges Khodr at the funeral for Fr Georges Massouh on Monday, March 26, 2018 at the Church of Saint George in Aley, Lebanon
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O tiller of the earth!
This is what the name "Georges" means in Greek.
You cultivated this vineyard of Christ in this town and elsewhere and you were faithful to the inheritance that you received from the saints, and you only knew the saints.
We brought you to this good parish so that you might cultivate it and you did. You walked before them, as sheep blessing Christ the Lord. You walked before them in righteousness. This is the life of a priest, to be righteous first of all and then after that to serve and chant and so forth.
But the fundamental task is to be righteous and pure for Jesus Christ.
You were righteous and the many discussions we had, you and I, focused only on righteousness, on the purity with which we pastors must be garbed and which we must give to the faithful. We both understood this, until the blessed Lord allowed you to be brought to Him. This is His will. May His will be blessed.
Go then and pray there above, where you watch over us, along with the angels.
Go and tell the Lord: those over whom I was entrusted, I tried to raise, for them to be Yours and for You to know if they are Yours.
Our task, O Georges, is to be a flock of Christ's. He knows if we attain this or not. But we will also try to imitate you, so may the priests and laypeople all know that you were a leader on this good journey in the Holy Spirit and that you brought us to the port, to the good haven after you nourished us with things divine.
You are above!
We are here!
Remember us because we are weak.
Remember us, until God removes each one of us from this earth on the day of His choosing.
Georges Massouh is a rare man!
You think that you are sitting with a human like yourself, then you see yourself sitting with an angel in the flesh.
Georges Massouh soared in heaven, in the presence of God constantly, by the power of the blessings that he received from this anointment [misha, a play on the name Massouh]. He lived by the holy anointment. He went with us behind him, following him in his virtues and trying to get him to stay here with his virtues.
He went, leaving us a great inheritance, with his good example, so that we may not fall behind or grow weary, so that we may be patient and walk behind the saints.
May God alone be in all of this, as He supports you all, as you are with each other on the journey to God's face.
May God be with you in your holy experience, as all of us together pray that the Lord God may accept the priest Georges Massouh in His greatness, His righteousness and His holiness.
May God be with him and with us unto the ages. Amen.
The eulogy of Met Georges Khodr at the funeral for Fr Georges Massouh on Monday, March 26, 2018 at the Church of Saint George in Aley, Lebanon
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
O tiller of the earth!
This is what the name "Georges" means in Greek.
You cultivated this vineyard of Christ in this town and elsewhere and you were faithful to the inheritance that you received from the saints, and you only knew the saints.
We brought you to this good parish so that you might cultivate it and you did. You walked before them, as sheep blessing Christ the Lord. You walked before them in righteousness. This is the life of a priest, to be righteous first of all and then after that to serve and chant and so forth.
But the fundamental task is to be righteous and pure for Jesus Christ.
You were righteous and the many discussions we had, you and I, focused only on righteousness, on the purity with which we pastors must be garbed and which we must give to the faithful. We both understood this, until the blessed Lord allowed you to be brought to Him. This is His will. May His will be blessed.
Go then and pray there above, where you watch over us, along with the angels.
Go and tell the Lord: those over whom I was entrusted, I tried to raise, for them to be Yours and for You to know if they are Yours.
Our task, O Georges, is to be a flock of Christ's. He knows if we attain this or not. But we will also try to imitate you, so may the priests and laypeople all know that you were a leader on this good journey in the Holy Spirit and that you brought us to the port, to the good haven after you nourished us with things divine.
You are above!
We are here!
Remember us because we are weak.
Remember us, until God removes each one of us from this earth on the day of His choosing.
Georges Massouh is a rare man!
You think that you are sitting with a human like yourself, then you see yourself sitting with an angel in the flesh.
Georges Massouh soared in heaven, in the presence of God constantly, by the power of the blessings that he received from this anointment [misha, a play on the name Massouh]. He lived by the holy anointment. He went with us behind him, following him in his virtues and trying to get him to stay here with his virtues.
He went, leaving us a great inheritance, with his good example, so that we may not fall behind or grow weary, so that we may be patient and walk behind the saints.
May God alone be in all of this, as He supports you all, as you are with each other on the journey to God's face.
May God be with you in your holy experience, as all of us together pray that the Lord God may accept the priest Georges Massouh in His greatness, His righteousness and His holiness.
May God be with him and with us unto the ages. Amen.
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Here you will see perhaps the only icon in the world dedicated to the Virgin Mary of Antioch. Your friend from NOCTOC
Theotokos of Antioch. Church of Christ the only begotten Son (Christos Monogenis). Koilani, Lemassol. 15th-16th century
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